Foldable table



`Fune 10, 1958 w. P. KENNEDY www June 10, 1958 W. P. KENNEDY FOLDABLE TABLE Filed April 5, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 NVENTOR. WILLIAM' P. KENNEDY ATTOBN E Y United Patent yIce 2,838,352 FQLDABLE TABLE- l 'William P. Kennedy, AMalfiefvfa, Ga. Application April s, 195,5,seria1Na 499,263

s clams.V (ci. 311-28) i This invention relates to furniture and is particularly concerned with foldable furniture such as admirably adapted for use as an invalid or bed table which may be adjusted to various relative positions and which may serve in combinedcapacities as various furniture'pieces as will hereinafter/be set forth.

While `numerous and various types of bed tables, supports and the like have been designed and many are available on the market, nsuch devices for the most part are cumbersome, ditiicult to store and space-consuming as well as limited in their utility in that their adjustment is conned to specic angularities lor positions with respect to thepatent and/ or the surface upon which they are mounted. lSuch devices are also limited in the surface extent presented for use and they are further limited tov supporting' functions. AIt* is ltherefore desirable that there'be provideda foldable device which may have multipleadjusted positions of use and which may be collapsed to minimum space for storage. It is further desirable that such a device may be provided with an extensiblesupprting surface and which may incorporate therewith structural `features readily adapted to 'provide for the use of the device in functions other than that of a table, easel or thelike, y l

In accordance therewith, vit is among the primary objects of the present inventionl to provide a novel, simple and improved article of furniture which will provide multiple positions of use, extensibility of' supporting surface:r andV minimum overall dimensons when folded in order to facilitate convenient storage. 'U I Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character set forth which is rugged and durable, as wellV as' particularly designed to meet the demands of economic manufacture.

A furtherl object of theI invention is to provide an invalid Vtable or support which may be readily adjusted to various. angular positions with respect to a patient or to the persons bed and which in such adjusted position provides for an extensible supportingsurface.

It is anotherobject of the invention to provide a device of the character set forth which may be used as a hingingv support o'rfpictureV frame to be suspended vertically from a wall when not in usev as asupport or table.

It is also an objectof the invention to provide a device of thefcharacter set forth with structural details such as to provide for the mounting of accessory vdevices and to secure such accessory devices while` the table is in any one of a plurality ofvitsY adjusted positions.

Numerous other objects,' features, yand advantages of the present structure willb'e apparent from the consideration of the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the Adevice ofthe present invention irly one of its many adjusted positions.

Fig. 21 is' a detailed cross-sectional view taken on the line Z--2 "ofpFig. l.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the structure presented in Fig. 1 showing the arrangement of parts thereof when Vthe. surface 20 below the; ch'an'nel:Y to be covered-.bythe 2,838,352 Patented June 10, 1958 2 the device is folded for storage or to be used as a ing picture frame.

VFig'.` 4 is a side elevation of the device with the parts arranged in themanner shown Vin Fig. 3. o

Figi 5 is a perspective fragmentary view showing the hangunderside of the device with one of the supporting legs thereof angularly disposed with respect to the body of the device.

l-Tig.'l 6 is a View similar to Fig. 5 showing the leg-disposed adjacent and in aplane normal thereto.

With respect' to that form of the invention herein presented by way of illustrating the various inventive concepts presentedQthe structure may be, generally defined ascomprising a flat table-like body including trackways by which an extensible member may be supported to slideably provide for an extension of the available table surface of the device. Pivotally mounted on the underside of the bodyare leg members which may be moved on'axes' adjacent the body to fold parallel therewith and which may be further pivoted at one end thereof to dispose lsuch members in angular relation to the body, thereby presenting means for tiltingly supporting the body in easel-type fasion with respect to a bed or like supporting surface'. The invention as here presented also .includes a pivoted edge member movable to a position out of registration with other edge members 'so as to permit thev insertion and withdrawal of a picture, bulletin board, black board,- drawing board, or other like material over the upper surface of the body. Furthermore, the invention provides clamping means by which coasters for glassesA and other items or ash trays or like accessory devices may be secured on'the upper surface of the body portion. In considering the structure of the present deviceas hereinafter set forth in detail, it will of course @be understood that various4 features may b e combined in one single structure as here presented or such features may be independently used in devices of like construction but omitting some of the combining features herein set forth. f v

Referring now to the drawings, the numeral 10 indicatesthe upper surface of a generally rectangular body member provided with internally rabbeted side and bottom framing members 11 and 12, respectively. Such framing members'provide for the slideable insertion over the surfacev 10 of a picture, wear surface, wall board,

drawingL or game paper or such as indicated by the nuy meral 14. At the upper edge of the body there is provided a hingedly mounted vtop framing member 15 secured to the body as by hinges 19 and so arranged as to be tiltingly disposed out of the plane of the framing members 11 and 12 so as to permit` insertion and withdrawal of the sheet 14 and to further permit pivotal movement into theplane of the members 11 and 12 so as to secure the sheet 14 upon the surface 10 of the body.

As. more clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the structure above outlined also providesffor the insertion under the flanged portion of the end framing members A11 of a leg 1'6 of drinking glass holders or like receptacles'1'7, a wing nut `1S: being provided to apply pressure between the edges of the framing member so as to secure they leg 16 firmly in the framing member whereby the receptacle 17 may be securely'retained over the surface 10 of the body.

Atopposite ends of the underside 20 of the body, there is provided a pair of parallel channel members 21 hingedly secured to the under-surface 20 =by hinged members 22. For securing'the channel members 21'in hingedly adjusted position with the web thereof parallel and vin contact with the under-surface 2Q of the body', there, is provided a pivotally mounted securing latch 23, the at back portion y24 of whichV is pivotally mounted on web thereof when the channel is disposed parallel with Aengaging portion 33of the supporting structure. lof course be understood that as the bolt 36 is tightened,

3 the back 20 as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings. The latch member 24 is of open-sided U-shaped configuration as at 25 whereby when pivotally moved in the direction of the channel 21 the U-shaped configuration will embrace the side .and bottom of .the channel and extend thereover to preclude accidental pivoting of the channel on its hinge 22. When the member 23 is rotated to a position lying normal to the axis of the channel, as shown in Figs. and 6, a recess 26 thereof may engage a detent 27 protruding from the under-surface 20 and.

with respect to the channel 21, brace members 34 are provided which are pivotally secured to the two sides of the angle 21 as at 35. Members 34 are joined by a bolt 36 at their outer end, which bolt is slideably received through a slot 37 formed in the outer surface It will the location of the ends of the brace members 34 within the slot 37 is secured and the angular relation of the leg members' with respect to the channel is therefore fixed.

From the foregoing recitation of structure, it will be seen that the leg members 30 may be disposed with their 'inner ights 31 within the channel 21 and extending in a plane normal to the surface and with their surface supporting portion 33 parallel with the surface 20 so that, as in Fig. 6, the table may ybe-supported on a bed or like horizontal surface in spaced relation thereto and parallel therewith. If, however, the leg portions are pivotally moved with respect to the end of the channel as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, the body portion may be tiltedly supported with respect to such bed or other surface and the tilted relation thereof may be secured against accidental displacement by the brace members 34. In this position of the device, the body may constitute an easel angularly disposed with respect to the bed and thus be convenient for writing or supporting reading material in front of the patient.

When the device is to be stored or to belused as a wall supported frame, the leg members are pivotally Y moved to dispose the flight 31 thereof within the sides of the channel member 21 and the channel members 21 are then pivotally moved on their hinges 22 todispose the leg members parallel with and against the underside 20 of the body. For retaining the legs in such collapsed or folded position, pivotally mounted latch members 40 are provided, the ends of which are recessed as `at 41 to engage the outer and supporting portion 33 of the leg members. As indicated in Figs. 3 and 5, the outer ends of the latch members 40 are provided with apertures 42 to receive hooks, nails or like supporting means to suspend the device in parallel position upon a wall or like supporting surface.3

The under-surface 20 ofthe body member may also be provided with side and end framing members and 51 which guide and receive the edges of an extensible surface member 53. YThe edges of the member 53 are grooved to receive the inwardly extending flanges of the `framing members 50 and 51 and thus the member 53 is mounted to be guidingly withdrawn from the framing members to extend the surface 53 in parallel relation to the upper surface 10 of the body, thus providing an extension of the useable work surface of the body. It will thus be seen that the present invention provides not only for the angular `adjustment of the surface with respect to the-bed or, like support, but provides for extension of the work surface provided by the top 1 0 of the body and the framing members 50 and 51 may be utilized as storage facilities for sheet material which may be subsequently used on the front face 10 of the body. It will be noted in further consideration of this structure that the extensibility of the surface by means of the member 53 is independent of the angular relation of the body member with respect to the leg structure and thus the extension is available when the body member is parallel with support engaging members or when it is angularly disposed as in Figs. 1 and 5.

The present invention is adapted to a multiplicity of purposes, being designed for use both as a at table surface disposed parallel with the surface of a bed or like support or as an easel variously adjustable to dispose the surface angularly with respect to the bed or like surface, and the invention further provides for the removability of a sheet from the top surface and .for the extension of that surface regardless of the angular disposition of the body with respect to the supporting surface. Furthermore, the pivoted arrangement of the framing member of the outer top edge of the device permits ready insertion, removal and retention of a sheet 14 and the leg engaging members provide ready means for the suspension of the device on a wall either for the display of a sheet 14 or as a means of conveniently storing the device.

In the practice of the invention, it will be understood that the device is not limited to the specific structural details and arrangements herein presented but that numerous changes, modifications and the full use of equivalents may be resorted to in the practice of the invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the appended claims. It will further be understood that while the invention as herein set forth presents various structural features which may be independently operable and may function for securing various advantageous features, such elements of the invention may be separately used and may be combined other than as here presented.

I claim:

1. In a table, a supporting body including a supporting surface, a pair of legs for supporting said body from a surface, means for pivotally mounting said legs for movement to and from a plane parallel with said body, means for pivotally mounting said legs for pivotal movement in a plane normal to said body, and means for retaining said legs in pivotally adjusted position with respect to the plane of said body and in a plane normal thereto.

2. In a table, a body, a pair of leg receiving members pivotally mounted on said body, and a pair of leg members pivotally engaging said leg receiving members, said leg receiving members being movable to and from a position to dispose said legs parallel with said body or in a plane normal thereto, said legs being pivotally movable in the plane of said leg receiving members for angular adjustment with respect thereto.

3. A table including a body forming an upper supporting surface, a pair of channel members pivotally mounted at either end of said body on the under surface thereof, a pair of leg members pivotally mounted to said channel members, each leg including a flight receivable within said channel and a parallel spaced surface engaging portion, said legs being foldable upon pivotal movement of said channel members when said flights are received therein to lie parallel with and adjacent said underside of said body, and being pivotally movable with respect to said channel members in a plane normal to the plane of said body to support said body in adjusted angular relation to a supporting surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS ;(Qther references on following page) 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS Hinrchs June 5, 1923 Grignon Feb. 9, 1926 Copeman Jan. 29, 1929 5 Everts Aug. 27, 1929 Hunter Dec. 24, 1929 6 Fairs June 24, 1930 Punten et al. Dec. 12, 1933 Johnson etal May 29, 1934 Olston Dec. 31, 1940 Linderme Oct. 27, 1942 Greitzer Oct. 23, 1951 Jacques Oct. 19, 1954V 

